Hello all! This is the third installment of The Electric Company Discovers Fanfiction Trilogy. Thank you to every who has supported and reviewed the previous stories. The first had 10 reviews and the second had a whopping 27! It was great to read them after all these years. This story was a bit of an accident...(*cough*shouldhavebeenreadingtheIliad*cough*) but oh well. What's done is done! I hope you all enjoy!

Check my profile page for the first two installments. I HIGHLY recommend reading those first :-)

~Five Years Ago~

"But mom, why do I have to stay with dad this weekend? Why can't I just go on your trip with you?"

Thirteen year old Logan Scrambler, or more commonly known as as Logan the Awesome, sat slouched on a chair. Her feet were propped on the glass coffee table in front of her, and her head was resting on her hand, crushing her indestructible flip phone. She was tired, having battled two over-crowded airports and three unexpected delays by herself in order to reach New York City, and wanted more than anything to be back in her own house, her own bed in North Dakota. But life wasn't that simple.

"I wish you could, sweetie," said the strained yet gentle voice on the other line. "Plane tickets to China are expensive, and my company won't pay for two."

"But why couldn't I have stayed with Gramma or something?" Logan asked, too tired to whine but still not content with the situation.

"You haven't seen your father since last summer." Her mother was an expert at changing subjects. It came with the employment as a journalist. "And your cousin Annie lives close by. Why don't you hang out with her?"

Logan hesitated. Annie was there with her father at the airport. One look at the short pixie cut and outrageous tutu skirt and she knew something was different about her cousin. The sulking and sour mood during the car ride home only proved her assumption.

"Annie is...different," she began. "She wasn't the same when I saw her today. I felt like I couldn't talk to her like I used to. And I saw the group of kids she hangs out with...they're kind of...trouble makers."

Silence. Her mother was at a loss for words, and the lack of sound made Logan squirm in her seat.

"I don't mean to stress you out," Logan continue quickly, bouncing her knee up and down as she spoke. "It's just...you know how things are with dad."

"I do," her mother replied. "At least it's only for a week."

To that, Logan laughed.

After exchanging goodbyes, Logan pocketed her phone and stared blankly at the laptop in front of her. On it was a blank Word document. She had typed a few sentences, but quickly deleted them after re-reading. Writing always helped take her mind off things. She was hoping it would be her own saving grace during the upcoming week, but inspiration failed to strike. Her English teacher back in North Dakota, to whom Logan shared many of her writings, always advised to look around, pick a random object, and incorporate it in the scene. However, when she gazed past the blaring white light, there was almost too much to look at. Her father was definitely...special, and had collected many odd trinkets over the years: crystal balls, voodoo artifacts, posters from passing circus shows and musicals, and of course, his vast collection of pocket watches. But these were all things she had seen before. Things she actually did not want to see.

Logan slouched further in the chair, hugging her one knee to her chest as she let her vision blur. Maybe the subconscious would have something fun to toy with…

"Annie! Hurry up or you'll be late for curfew!"

"Who cares! I don't follow rules, Danny. What kind of Prankster do you think I am?"

Logan sat up at the sound of voices outside the apartment window. She was almost certain that it was her cousin by the sound of the voice, and after checking the clock, was even more certain she was out past curfew. It was so late, her father was fast asleep in his bedroom.

Curious, she crept towards the window, careful not to expose herself to the outside world incase it was Annie. Slowly rising, she allowed her eyes to peak just above the window sill, and sure enough, there was Annie in that same outrageous tutu with one of the boys she joined earlier. He was tall with chocolate brown skin and wore suspenders.. From behind, one would assume he was in high school, but Logan caught his face in the light of the street lamp and could tell he was the same age as Annie and herself. His cheeks still had traces of baby fat and his eyes still held the wonder of childhood.

Logan watched as the two glared at each other, Annie's comment causing the boy to skew his face into one of absurd annoyance, which sparked her interest. Neither showed any sign of backing down. Logan waited a good five minutes, watching the anger and annoyance build up until they both simultaneously let out a prolonged grunt and pointed their fisted hands towards one another.

Logan laughed quietly under her breath, careful not to wake her sleeping father or alert the two teens below. She continued her observation, finding herself enthralled with the encounter.

Annie did not storm off like she normally did. She stayed firmly planted and crossed her arms, refusing to look at the boy. Something kept her there. Probably the desire to protest her curfew, Logan reasoned.

"Well then, since I am clearly not a better Prankster than you, I am going to run home," the boy said, refusing to look at Annie and with annoyance perfectly clear in his tone. "Good. Night."

And with that, the boy stormed off into the thick darkness of the city. As his footsteps melted into dull echoes, Logan watched as Annie turned her head in the direction he had left, her expression no longer peeved, but lonely, longingly almost. She watched the darkness in front of her before quickly bowing her head. Without a second's hesitation she began to walk in the opposite direction, her shoulders more slumped than Logan had remembered seeing.

Logan slid to the floor slowly, a silly smile on her face as the scene she just witnessed played over in her mind. She could clearly see that Annie had a "thing" for her "friend." Whether it was the teasing and bickering or the fact that neither would back out of the staring contest, there was something cooking between them, and she desired to discover more. What was really going on?

Her eyes immediately fell to the blank Word document.

~At the Diner, Five Years Later~

"Wait, so THAT is what got you into writing all these stories?" asked Marcus, eyes wide and surprisingly focused as he sipped his banana milkshake.

Logan nodded, stirring her strawberry shake with her straw as a playful smile crossed her lips.

"Yes sir, five years ago this summer."

"But then how did you know about Lisa and Hector to write stories about them?" asked Keith, sitting backwards in a diner chair and resting his chin on the back of it.

"Being related to a Prankster had its benefits," Logan said, watching as the pink liquid trudged into the circular path she traced with her straw. "Besides, the Electric Company is pretty well known across the city. I've seen what you guys do. And the over-exaggerated stories from Annie helped."

Suddenly, Hector and Shock emerged from the kitchen, carrying a huge sheet cake with careful steps. Lisa looked over Logan's shoulder and smiled at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology emblem painted with icing on the top of the cake. She nudged Logan who looked at the cake and smiled.

"Attention everyone!" Hector said, pulling a frying pan and metal spoon from behind the counter and tapping them together lightly. The dull buzz in the diner slowly faded with the metallic echo as all eyes turned to new owner of the diner.

"As many of you know, one of the members of the Electric Company will be leaving tomorrow to attend MIT. She has been a great asset to our team, helping us solve mystery, unravel mixed up words, and keeping the Pranksters from causing too much trouble. Her enthusiasm, wit, and overall determined personality has helped us so much, whether she's been in the city or away. Lisa, we will miss you."

Lisa giggled, a huge smile on her face as she leapt from her chair and fell, literally, into Hector's open arms. The two laughed at the incident and shared a prolonged hug, Hector's hand placed firmly on the small of Lisa's back as his other graced her blond locks gently. Logan felt a strong heat in her chest as her heart began to thump rapidly. She loved to observe cute couples, and she knew that Lisa leaving would not spoil what the two of them shared.

Logan began to observe the diner. Jessica had the faintest smile on her face and, as usual, had her head resting on Keith's shoulder. Keith merely looked down at her and grinned, clearly enjoying the contact. Marcus was cheering along with the crowd, although his enthused voice could easily be heard above the rabble. He was also the first to the cake as soon as Shock sliced it. By this point, patrons began to approach Lisa, shaking her hand and giving hugs of congratulations. As Logan's gaze passed the windows, she caught a glimpse of her cousin walking past, her brown pigtails trailing behind her. Logan could have sworn she saw an envelope grasped tightly in her hand, and she smiled to herself.

~Outside~

Annie was on a mission. She blinked rapidly, hoping it would get the looming sense of drowsiness out of her head. She could not afford to be tired, even if she and Logan had stayed up super late the night before. Uncle Sigmund had not been too happy. Annie did not care, for she was not one for following rules. And Logan...well...she had an interesting relationship with her father. Uncle Sigmund and Logan's mother had never exactly been married and Logan was aware of his lifelong crush on Natalie McNelly. Their visits were sparse and brief, usually resulting in awkward conversation, but nonetheless, they had finished what they had to, and now Annie was trying everything she could not to be late.

She ran into the park, her eyes jolting right and left, up and down, even though she knew where she had to be. Her heart pounded in her chest and she turned the corner and saw him. Her feet stopped, her stomach tightened, and she stared. He hadn't noticed her yet, but she couldn't move forward or call his name. Not even in a teasing way. She could feel the tight knot urging her to turn around, to run away, and she almost did. She was a Prankster! She didn't have to do this.

But she did.

No more running.

"Hey Danny," she found herself saying.

He turned immediately at the sound of her voice and a warm smile spread across his face. He stood from his seated position, his eyes never leaving her as he approached her carefully. After all these years, he was still a fan of the plaid shorts and suspenders; however, a navy blue University of Michigan-Ann Arbor tee was tucked neatly into the yellow plaid, and somehow, he looked as put together as he always did. He opened his mouth to speak, and Annie's hand shot up to silence him.

"Zzzzzip!" she said, her gaze focussed on the pavement below her bright red sneakers. "Let me go first." Danny gave her a peeved pout, but Annie had none of it. "I mean it Rebus!"

He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to speak. It took Annie a few moments, opening and closing her mouth as she wracked her brain for the right words to say. She couldn't flub this one up.

"So I know that you leave tomorrow for...well...you know...college," she said, cringing slightly at the thought and crossing her arms across her chest. "And you're going all the way to Michigan while I'm just staying here, and I wanted to give you something before you go."

Danny perked up at the sound of a gift. He liked receiving gifts. They made him feel special. Therefore, he was surprised when he saw Annie hold up an envelope and open it herself.

"Excuse me, isn't it rude to open another person's present?" he asked, genuinely appalled at the lack of Annie's manners.

She snapped her gaze up to meet his, her eyes wide and desperate, pleading with him to cooperate just this once. Annie and Danny had exchanged many looks before. It was part of the Prankster's way of silent communication, but he had never seen Annie this...frightened. He nodded his head, feeling a bit embarrassed for putting her in this position.

"You never liked following rules," he murmured under his breath, but just loud enough for her to hear.

Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she took out the papers within the envelope. She took a deep breath in to prepare herself.

"Logan helped me write this," she said. "She's going to college for Creative Writing, actually, and you know, she's written all those fanfics...but anyways, she's better with words than I am, so she helped me put my thoughts on paper." She cast her eyes up and looked at Danny from beneath her bangs. "I'm going to read it now, if that's alright."

Danny simply nodded, and Annie shook her head in nervous preparation. She stared at the words, re-reading them and gagging inwardly at just how goopy and emotional they sounded. She hated emotions, and at the same time, she wanted Danny to know how she felt. Danny could see her struggle and took her hands into his, carefully snatching the papers into his own grasp.

"Would it be easier if I read it to myself?"

Annie looked up at Danny, a confused look on her face. Danny never offered to do stuff for her. Ever. While confused, she gratefully took him up on his offer.

Once upon a time, there was a young girl. She was rather lonely, for her best friend had gone away to Space Camp for the summer, and her cousin lived in North Dakota. The person she spent most of her days with was her Uncle, but after a while, she got tired of his constant hypnosis endeavours. She wanted to play with someone her own age. Someone she could see every day.

It didn't take long to find a group who loved mischief as much as she did. She began to enjoy the summer more than she did before. Francine came up with fun pranks to do to the people in the city. Manny had many gadgets that he made himself that she enjoyed playing with. And Danny...well...Danny was Danny. There was really no other way to describe him. He added a unique personality to their team.

The girl spent the following six years with this group of misfits. She hated them as much as she enjoyed them, and that was a dynamic she thrived on. However, as time went on, she found herself gravitating more towards a certain member of the group.

She didn't know what it was about Danny that enthralled her. Whatever it was, it caused her to keep him out past his curfew on more than one occasion, tease him more than she teased anyone else, and feel annoyed by him constantly. It took her a while before she realized what all of this meant. She had feelings for Danny. But there was no way he reciprocated the affection. So she kept it to herself, thinking of it as something to be embarrassed by rather than something to celebrate and persue.

Who would have thought that all it took was a silly confession and a gentlemen gesture to make her realize that she wanted this, them, despite the embarrassment that would obviously come with it.

But she had waited too long. For in a few months, white caps would be thrown into the sky as they would celebrate their high school graduation. And from there, he was off to Michigan to pursue his dream of the theatre. And she was staying.

And so, she writes this tale, in silent hope that someday, somehow, he will read it and summon the courage that she could not for all these years.

3 Annie

Annie waited, rocking back and forth on her feet while trying to keep her gaze on her red shoes. However, she found herself sneaking looks at Danny, watching for his reaction. He kept a blank face, which caused the knot to return to her stomach. He probably hated it, thinking it was too emotional and flowery. Why did she even ask Logan for help? A Prankster would never write something like this, let alone give it to another Prankster!

The sound of rustling papers reached Annie's ears and she could not resist the urge to look up. All she saw was Danny quickly closing the space between them before she felt his hot breath on her lips. He was so close, his hands out but still inches away from her hips, his forehead pressing lightly against hers and his brown eyes closed, as if snapping himself out of some stupor.

"I think...that...you are an amazing Prankster," she said.

He remembered?

Before she could collect her thoughts, Annie felt a wave of courage pass through her and snatched it, allowing herself to place a quick peck on Danny's lips. After the fact, she realized what she had done and began to panic, but seeing Danny's gentle smile reassured her. He closed the distance between her hips and his hands and pulled her towards him, capturing her lips in the process. It was a small, chaste kiss, but it sent sparks of energy throughout Annie's body, nonetheless, and she found her hands snaking up to Danny's shoulders.

When they pulled apart, they wore matching smiles, and Annie felt no shame in meeting Danny's gaze.

"So," Danny began, "I have to ask, 'enthralled'? 'Reciprocated the affection'? 'Something to celebrate and persue'?"

"Danny!" Annie whined, "I know! Stop!"

"I thought you said this was a collaboration project."

"It was...kinda...I briefly described everything to Logan and had her write the whole thing."

"Were you watching Friends or Aunts?" he asked.

"...yes."

Danny laughed, swinging his arm around Annie's shoulders and leading her further into the park. His teases could be heard throughout the area until they were so far that the trees ceased the sound. But this time, he wasn't teasing her in bad nature. Quite on the contrary, he teased her because he thought she looked cute when embarrassed.

~At Lisa's House~

Lisa sat in her nearly empty room. Everything she owned had been packed inside suitcases and boxes, all ready for the move to MIT the following morning. Aside from her bed, the only thing left was her laptop. She had it open to a website, the familiar white pages with blue hyperlinks bringing a nostalgic feeling. She opened her Account to the website and stared at it for a while, her eyebrows furrowing as she contemplated a matter silently.

A soft knock drew her out of her thoughts and she smiled as Hector came in with two ice cream cones.

"Oh, no thanks," Lisa said kindly. "I'm so full from that cake earlier today."

"But it's your favorite," Hector tempted, sitting next to her on her bed, "and this is your last night here. You won't be able to have this ice cream until November, and what if the shop closes between now and then? You will regret the decision forever!"

Lisa gave him a skeptical look, but took the cone anyways, thanking him silently. Hector looked onto her screen, curious to see what Lisa was up to.

"Fanfiction? Why fanfiction? You haven't written a story in months."

"I know," Lisa said. "I've just been looking through my profile. I'm actually kind of considering deleting my account."

"How come?" Hector asked.

"It all just seems so...weird...now that we're together and all, since most of these fics involve you and me."

"It's up to you," Hector said, "but I think you should keep it. While yes, it is a bit alarming at first, I think that they're...cute."

Lisa looked at Hector, her eyes wide with adoration as she placed a kiss on his cheek. Sliding next to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his free arm around her.

"I'm going to miss you," she said, taking licks of her ice cream.

"Me too," he said. "But we'll make it through. We've always been there for each other, no matter the situation. And this isn't goodbye forever."

Although she had heard him say it a thousand times before, the statement caused Lisa to release a breath she didn't know she was holding, allowing her to sink further into Hector's embrace.

"You couldn't be more right."

Casting one last glance towards the open computer, Lisa scanned the screen that showed her Fanfiction profile before firmly closing her laptop.

This wasn't goodbye forever.

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